


The Boxing Day Murders

by SubtextEquals



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, M/M, Off-screen Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2013-03-02
Packaged: 2017-12-04 02:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/705343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SubtextEquals/pseuds/SubtextEquals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After celebrating Christmas Sirius and Remus wake to the cold reality of war.</p>
<p>Warnings: Mentions of murder and torture of a family. Vague description of sex.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Boxing Day Murders

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Winter Wolfstar Wank with the prompt "Boxing Day."

When Remus woke his bed was empty but still warm from where Sirius had lain beside him. Usually Sirius was the one to sleep in but evidently he hadn’t burned through all the energy he’d had last night. That shouldn’t be too surprising. He and Remus had celebrated Christmas at James and Lily’s. Peter had been invited but elected to spend time with his mother. The others didn’t have that problem. James’s parents had passed away recently and it was Lily’s sister’s turn to stay with her parents. As for Remus, well, his parents were not entirely approving of his relationship with Sirius, who couldn’t very well spend Christmas with his family even if he wanted to.

Yesterday it had been like normal, like they were back at Hogwarts, before the war had taken its toll on them. Sirius fed on the moment and his exuberance was contagious. They’d all stayed up late, laughing and ignoring the stiffening silence that lay in wait for them outside the sturdy walls of the Potters’ home.

That hadn’t stopped Sirius and Remus from making love the moment they got home. They’d barely made it to the bedroom, losing their clothes on the way and at one point when Sirius backed Remus up against the hall he was sure they would soon be shagging against it or on the floor, they had done both in their time together and on more than one occasion. This time however they stumbled into bed together, stripping away the remainder of their clothes, and losing themselves in a tangle of limbs and the rush of their beating hearts.

After such a heated night, Remus had to take extra time to clean up before finally walking into the den where Sirius was reading that morning’s issue of the Daily Prophet. He didn’t smile at Remus when he walked in, didn’t even look up and Remus felt a vise close in around his heart.

“Who is it?”

Still not raising his head, Sirius handed his lover the paper. Remus didn’t have far to look. It was there on the front page: Family of 5 Murdered in Home. And then in the article the surname Bones.

Remus collapsed onto the couch next to Sirius. The paper fell from his hands. He didn’t want to read the rest. He didn’t need to; he knew the fate that his friend’s family had suffered. The details were always the same in their brutality.

“Last night?” He finally managed.

Sirius nodded. He finally turned to Remus and he could see that not only were tears glistening in his eyes but more had fallen onto his still damp cheeks. Remus touched his face, brushing away the tears with his gentle fingers. A moment later Sirius did the same and only then did Remus realize that he was crying as well.

Last night, on Christmas day, when they were busy laughing and making love, the Bones family had been tortured to death. He couldn’t imagine the horror they must have felt, especially the children…

Remus’s stomach twisted. He pulled Sirius closer to him, let him sob into his shoulder as tears poured down Remus’s face and onto Sirius’s dark hair.

Sirius pulled away enough to speak though his voice was still muffled by fabric. “I love you, Remus.” His balled his hands into fists around Remus’s shirt.

“I love you too.”

They didn’t have to speak more to know their shared fear. It was selfish to think about he knew but every time they lost someone it happened. Horror, shock, but always that pervasive and consuming fear. Because no one was safe, that was the clear message of this attack. There was no safe place. There would be no reprieve or mercy. And the next time it could be anyone.

It could be Sirius. It could be both of them. And Remus had no words of comfort. There was nothing he could say or do but hold Sirius just as Sirius’s strong arms wrapped around him.

“I love you.” He whispered.

If only that was enough.


End file.
